Chapter 101
"With such great prestige, Commander-in-Chief, can it blow into the enemy camp or cure people? If it can, then the brothers won't have to endure the hardships of marching with you. Why take your anger out on others?!"
These words were rather sarcastic. In front of several generals, Xie Chengnan showed him no respect whatsoever, and this wasn't the first time. If it happened again and again, others would suspect that the commander-in-chief lacked authority, couldn't win the hearts of his men, and could be easily insulted and deceived.
Gu Shuan's face was so cold it was almost icy, and he shouted, "Xie Chengnan! Do you really think I won't punish you?"
It's always the same thing over and over again; it's boring.
Xie Chengnan scoffed, dismissing it as nothing, and said, "If you don't need me to lead the troops, then punish me severely." He was going to argue with him.
He dared to challenge the commander-in-chief of the three armies in front of so many people. Lin Yi felt his scalp tingle and his eyelids twitch. He was clearly not usually this aggressive and indiscriminate. "Xie Chengnan!"
Lin Yi simply called his name, and Xie Chengnan obediently shut up, as if she were the commander-in-chief he could boss around.
"If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I'll go find it myself," Lin Yi said.
"Why not? Gu Shu'an, you should know her medical skills. If she says she has a solution, she's at least 70% sure. Why not try? Can you rest easy watching your soldiers suffer like this?"
Lin Yi was on the verge of a breakdown, and whispered, pinching his hand, "Shut up!"
Gu Shuan's face alternated between cold and dark, clearly showing that she was trying hard to suppress her anger.
This "dispute" seemed more like a one-sided, unreasonable outburst by the General of the Cavalry, whose commander-in-chief had an extremely high tolerance for anger. But Xie Chengnan's words were not without merit. If there was a 70% chance of success, why not give it a try? Those waiting for treatment were not only soldiers of Anguo, but also their family and brothers who had risked their lives alongside them. Even if they had to dig three feet through the sand and gravel to find life-saving medicine, it would be worth it!
The generals looked at each other, unsure whether to advise punishment or peace.
Zhan Xian remained silent, but she could clearly see that Xie Chengnan was right, only that he had committed a major taboo in the military.
She clasped her hands in a military salute and said to Gu Shuan, "General Xie's words are not without reason. If there is a way, why not let Doctor Qiu try it? If the commander is worried about manpower, I will lead a light troop to accompany you. It will not delay the march. Please think it over, commander."
She pursed her lips and continued, "General Xie addressed the commander-in-chief by his given name in front of the tent, which is disrespectful and violates military discipline. Please punish him, commander-in-chief."
Several pairs of eyes turned to Gu Shuan as she spoke.
After a moment's hesitation, the latter finally agreed to let Lin give it a try.
He swept his cold, pointed gaze over Xie Chengnan, "How should one be punished according to military regulations for disrespecting the commander-in-chief?"
Before anyone else could speak, Xie Chengnan took the initiative to say, "Twenty strokes of the cane."
Gu Shuan nodded, "Go to your tent to receive your punishment, while the three armies watch from the sidelines."
Xie Chengnan raised his eyebrows at him; this was going a bit too far.
Disrespecting the commander-in-chief is neither a major nor a minor matter; it all depends on how it's handled. If the authorities intend to let it go, a few words of reprimand will suffice; if they want to punish severely, demotion or stripping of power are both possible. According to military discipline, twenty strokes of the cane is the most common punishment, applicable to officers and soldiers of all ranks.
Xie Chengnan had originally intended to use this as an excuse to make a fuss. Gu Shu'an's prestige in the army wasn't good; frankly, he was somewhat too lenient and had never punished anyone. Although no trouble had actually occurred, the lack of both punishment and reward made the commander seem rather insignificant to the ordinary soldiers.
Zhan Xian didn't know if she could see through his thoughts, but her goal was the same as his.
As for Gu Shuan, Xie Chengnan was initially unsure whether he could see through his "good intentions," but he had left the "army on the sidelines"...
He not only noticed it, but he also cooperated very actively. Almost excessively so.
Damn it, doesn't the General of the Cavalry have any dignity?!
Even Zhan Xian was a little surprised and glanced at him several times.
Lin Yi's heart was overflowing with worry, yet she didn't know whether she should plead for him. The matter had started because of her, and she was afraid that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make. Besides, her words carried little weight, neither in Gu Shu'an's heart nor in this tent.
He said he would accept the punishment himself, and Xie Chengnan went without the slightest hesitation.
The general's tent was surrounded by layers upon layers of soldiers, with countless others behind it.
Those squeezed at the back couldn't see what was happening, but could hear the heavy, muffled blows striking their bodies.
Someone asked, "Who is being punished?"
"It seems to be a General of the Cavalry."
The man blinked. "Did he give false intelligence or defect to the enemy?"
"You can't say things like that! It sounds like you're talking back to the commander... The punishment wasn't too severe, just twenty lashes."
Twenty strokes, as long as they aren't used to kill, will allow the thick-skinned soldiers to recover in three to five days.
"Twenty strikes isn't many, but the whole army was watching, we've completely lost face!"
"That's true. I'm afraid I'll have to be very careful when leading troops in the future..."
"But I'm quite curious about how he talked back, do you know? Tell me..."
...
The onlookers were buzzing with discussion. Xie Chengnan, wearing only his undergarments, was lying in front of the tent, not as ashamed to be seen as they said.
However, it really hurts when those military batons hit your body.
Even though Gu Shuan had someone go easy on her, it still hurt.
Lin Yi stood at the side and rear of the tent, and from her angle, she could see everything without any obstruction.
She didn't close her eyes, even slowing down her blinking, staring at the three-foot-long, five-inch-wide wooden cane, watching how it struck Xie Chengnan's back again and again.
A muffled thud landed on his back, and Lin Yi clearly saw the folds of his clothes instantly smoothed out, only to become wrinkled again when he lifted them. Xie Chengnan's fists were clenched tightly, so tightly they turned white, but he didn't utter a sound.
Eleven, twelve, thirteen...
Lin counted each hit, and although they were hitting her skin, it felt like each one was hitting her heart, causing a dull ache.
The twenty strokes of the cane finally came to an end when the fibers of the snow-white undergarment were torn and blood seeped through.
Even after the punishment ended, the onlookers hadn't dispersed. Xie Chengnan raised his head as if nothing had happened, but the slightest movement made him want to grimace in pain. Remembering that he was in front of others, he forced himself to endure it, though his expression wasn't very pleasant.
"Qingye..."
He called out softly, his voice low and slightly aggrieved. But Lin Yi heard him.
Just as he was about to go over, he saw someone rush over even faster than him.
"General! How are you? Does it hurt?" After saying that, she looked at the person in charge of the punishment, "You're so stubborn, can't you be a little gentler? If you really hurt the general, can you pay for it?"
The supervisor looked at him like he was an idiot, then ignored him and continued packing his things.
After finishing his explanation of the supervisory responsibilities, Jiang Ji then turned to the onlookers, saying, "Stop watching, stop watching. Don't they need to train? What's so interesting to see..."
Xie Chengnan sat up with his help, and after a while, asked him with a hint of disdain, "Why are you getting more and more long-winded?"
Jiang Ji was taken aback. "Really? I'm alright." He always seems to be like this!
Lin Yi came over and helped the person up, saying, "Let me help you."
Xie Chengnan then put his arm, which was originally on Jiang Ji, around her shoulder.
"Doctor Qiu is not strong enough, let me carry the general inside!"
Lin Yi thought about it and realized it made sense. She was weak and it wouldn't be good if she accidentally knocked someone down. She was about to agree.
Xie Chengnan gave the person who followed him a light kick, saying, "No need, I don't need anyone to carry me. Just go do what you were doing."
Jiang Ji said no, but he still watched the two enter the tent and Xie Chengnan sit on the bed before leaving with peace of mind.
"Why did you argue with him for no reason?" Lin Yi carefully separated the fabric from the skin and then gently wiped the wound with sake.
The sharp pain came suddenly, and Xie Chengnan hissed, "What's wrong with you? I just can't stand him yelling at you. You're the one who clearly has the solution, and he can't. That's his incompetence. Why shouldn't he believe you?"
"You trust me because of our relationship. It's understandable that he doesn't trust me, after all..." After all, given Qiu Qing's past "misdeeds" towards him, it's possible that they've already caused Gu Shu'an enough psychological trauma.
These words pleased Xie Chengnan for some reason, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. Even his voice became smug. "Don't worry, he still needs me to lead the troops into battle. He won't kill you. This injury is just for show. It will be fully healed in a couple of days."
That's true. Lin Yifang had just checked and found that apart from two broken skins, the rest were just red and swollen.
Even without drastic measures, these red and swollen marks will gradually turn into large patches of purplish-blue tomorrow, and it will take many days for them to fade away.
Lin couldn't stand his carefree attitude despite being injured, so she picked a spot and pressed down on it with some force.
This was met with a miserable scream from Xie Chengnan.
Lin Yi asked in a cool tone, "Weren't you not seriously injured?"
Xie Chengnan turned his head, his eyes filled with shock, and pointed at her, making a gesture like Xi Shi clutching her heart: "You, you, how cruel you are!"
"I...I am a heartless and vicious woman. Is this the first time you've known?"
After saying this, the two of them laughed simultaneously.
To make it easier to apply the medicine, Xie Chengnan sat cross-legged on the couch, while Lin Yi sat next to him, very close.
Xie Chengnan's body trembled uncontrollably as he laughed. He was already weak, and as he laughed, he wanted to lie back. He was about to fall down when he remembered that he still had medicine on his back, so he changed direction and fell towards Lin Yi.
He leaned against Lin Yi's leg, feeling comfortable, and simply lay down on his side, asking her with a smile, "Are you really going to murder your husband?"
"Of course." He wanted to act, so Lin Yi naturally cooperated.
After lying down for a while, Xie Chengnan suddenly said, "Don't say that."
"Huh?" Lin Yi was puzzled.
“You’re not heartless, and you’re not a poisonous woman.” Xie Chengnan paused, reached out and touched Lin Yi’s hair, which aggravated her wound. She gasped and continued, “My Qingye is beautiful and kind-hearted.”
Lin Yi listened but didn't respond to the conversation.
Xie Chengnan then asked, "How did you come up with this idea? Can you tell me?"
How did I come up with that idea... naturally, I went to find some unscrupulous system.
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